Symbolism In Rappaccini's Daughter

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Love is a powerful force that transforms people. Rappaccini’s Daughter is a dark Romantic short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in Southern Italy, the story revolves around the dangerous love between Giovanni and Beatrice. The theme of the story is the corruption of man. Rapaccini is portrayed as the sinful and corrupted one who bends the laws of nature for his own scientific experiments. Hawthorne uses literary devices throughout the story such as simile, diction, and symbolism to further enhance the theme of the corruption of man.
One literary element Hawthorne uses is simile. As Baglioni interrupts Giovanni’s thoughts they see “...a man in black along the street, stooping and moving feebly, like a person in inferior health,” Hawthorne is comparing Dr. Rappaccini to an ill person (Hawthorne 6). The author uses this …show more content…
Giovanni witnessed the moisture of a broken stem that caused a reptile to contort itself, Giovanni “...out of the shadow of his window, bent forward and shrank back, and murmured and trembled” (Hawthorne 5). To show the darkness that casts over him. Further intensifies the dark romance throughout the story. As Giovanni looked down into the garden “there was a ruin of a marble fountain in the centre, sculpted with rare art, but so wofully shattered that it was impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of remaining fragments” (Hawthorne 1). To symbolize the corruption of man. Reminds the reader of the darkness humans posses. By using symbolism, he sent the message of his theme to the readers. In conclusion, Hawthorne uses simile, diction, and symbolism to establish a theme of the corruption of man. By using these literary devices the readers were able to commit to what Hawthorne was trying to put forth. By seeing Rappaccini’s actions the reader could admit to what the overall theme, corruption of man, was. Overall, corruption can take over a man's heart and turn good to
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